You need to unlock bootloader on your Android phone in order to install a Custom recovery like TWRP or CWM or a custom ROM like: CyanogenMod, Resurrection Remix etc.

This post guides on how to Unlock Bootloader on any Android phone Using Fastboot. Below are the OEMs list categorized in supported and unsupported list. This bootloader unlock will be effective for Android phone from Supported OEMs list, ONLY.

You might be wondering what is supported and unsupported list of this unlock bootloader guide? Well, this post guides you to unlock bootloader using the fastboot, which is a very simple procedure. But there are OEMs like Motorola, HTC, Sony, Xiaomi, etc. have a bit longer process of bootloader unlock.

For those OEMs I have separate bootloader unlock procedure written individually in separate posts. For your convenience I have added those individual links to OEMs in unsupported list.

Many of the OEMs missing from the list at this moment. I will keep on adding them as I will explore which one is really supported by this guide and which one is not. There is no harm in trying this in any case. If this guide works on your phone then simply your bootloader will be unlocked and if it does not work it will simply through an error message.

Below is the OEM list filtered out for which this Bootloader Unlock guide will work and for which this guide may not work for you:

LG Bootloader Unlock Guide

Mediatek Bootloader Unlock Guide

Motorola Bootloader Unlock Guide

UNLOCK BOOTLOADER DISCLAIMER: Unlocking the bootloader on your Android may VOID your warranty and may delete all your data. You are solely responsible for anything that happens to your Phone; because you are the only person making changes to your phone and I cannot be held responsible for the mistakes done by you in anyway.

How to Unlock bootloader on Any Android Phone using Fastboot:

If you don’t know the key combination on your Android to enter into bootloader mode or if you are a newbie to Android Customization then this process is strongly recommended to Unlock Bootloader on your Android:

Download and install the ADB and Fastboot binaries using the above installer download link for Windows.

Open the command console on your PC. To open a command window in the current directory in Windows, press shift + Right Click anywhere on Windows explorer, or some folder. Then on the menu opened, just press the “w” key on the keyboard or select “Open command window here” to open a command window.

Now connect your Android to the PC using a USB cable.

Enter the following command on the command window opened:

adb reboot bootloader

to put your Android into bootloader mode where you can flash/install the TWRP recovery. If your Android Phone asks permission such as “Allow USB debugging” then just tap on OK to proceed.

Now when your Android is on the bootloader mode just execute the following command on the console:

Some of the Phone specific OEM unlock bootloader commands:

ZTE:

$ fastboot -i 0x19d2 oem unlock

Zuk:

$ fastboot -i 0x2b4c oem unlock

Le Eco (LeTv):

$ fastboot -i 0x2a96 oem unlock

Congratulation!!! You should have now an unlock Bootloader of you Android. Welcome to the developers world where you are yet to experience many more things on Android customization. The very NEXT STEP you may want is to install TWRP recovery on your Android or want to ROOT it.

If you are using a Samsung phone then I think you can still flash an ODIN flashable ROM. But many ROMs are made such that they can be flashed using a custom recovery. Well, to flash a custom recovery you need to unlock the bootloader.

OK, can you enable developer options and then enable OEM unlock (if you have an option) from Developer options menu and then connect your phone to the PC and see if it is detected.

Trying to install TWRP on a Lenovo P1a42. I am stuck at step 1 of unlocking the bootloader. 1. I downloaded and installed the ADB & Fastboot installer and the OEM/Google usb drivers. When I try to use the command “adb …..” , it fails and says “adb not recognized as an internal or external command or operable program”. I can see the abd folder with 5 files under my C:\ drive. 2. Cannot locate the correct TWRP file. Any help will be appreciated.

Hi Wayne, basically “adb not recognized as an internal or external command or operable program” meaning the command prompt is unable to find the path to adb.exe.

There are two ways how you can solve this:

Traverse (of course in the command prompt only) into the adb and fastboot directory where you have downloaded and extracted and then run the adb command, it will work

Put the adb and fastboot directory into windows’ PATH variable.

To locate the TWRP file you need to traverse the directory in command prompt where you have downloaded the TWRP file.

Let’s say the TWRP file named twrp-3.0.2.0-xxx.img is downloaded default into the Downloads directory in windows. Now open the Downloads directory and press shift + right click and then select Open commad window here. Now you will have a command window opened where you have the TWRP file. But the problem here is, the adb and fastboot might not be there directly in the Downloads directory and may be present in some other directory and you will again see the following: “adb not recognized as an internal or external command or operable program”

So, my suggestion is to copy the TWRP file to adb and fastboot directory and open the command prompt window inside the adb and fastboot directory and then your problem will be solved.

I hope my writing is clean enough to make you understand the whole scenario. If you still unable to fix this then let me know I will help you out.

my phone use to appear before i installed bluestack i use to do cmd commands to install the new or old miui official roms. after a time my phone didn’t appear in the list appear empty. when my phone was turn on it appear on the attached list, when i rebooted it to fastboot it show empty. i did what the guide told

C:\adb> after this the phone rebooted into TWRP (my current recovery) and after that the phone rebooted again in system. apparently it work. in the miui forum i asked about if mi3 come with bootloader block i think a admin told me that it didn’t so.. now it booted normally i guess it success?

Hello? I followed the steps to unlock bootloader on Wileyfox Swift,but surprisingly,I managed to unlock it yet I didn’t lose any data in my phone. Is that possible? When I try to repeat the process,cmd tells me Device already unlocked. But going ahead to install TWRP has become hard for me. I adb and fastboot installed,USB drivers for wileyfox,and required twrp .img file. So,I was wondering,which cmd do I use,I have the original windows one,and the adb and fastboot one. Please help,thanks.